


Policies of Truth

by itsgameover



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Blood and Violence, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Military Science Fiction, Paramilitary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:13:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24944419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsgameover/pseuds/itsgameover
Summary: blood stains cover the nation.
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Junmyeon | Suho
Comments: 15
Kudos: 25
Collections: Challenge #4 — Into the Future





	Policies of Truth

**Author's Note:**

> Reader beware, this is a dystopia which means no happy-go-lucky-even-if-vague worldbuilding.  
> If you don't like that or the idea of blood and violence (it's really implied more than anything but better safe than sorry!), then don't read it. Take care of yourself.  
> Ok? Cool, moving on!  
> Thanks to Mod N for hosting this wonderful challenge and for making sick edits for twitter. Check them out, they are super cool.  
> Also thanks to my beta who really likes this sort of aesthetic, you are a trooper.

“TRAITOR!” Jongdae’s voice is hoarse, broken. There are tears in those fierce dark eyes. Even in defeat, Jongdae refuses to give in. 

“The only traitor here is you.” Junmyeon says, voice slow, methodical, small silver heptagram on the right side of his grey uniform shining under the dim light.

Jongdae snarls like a feral dog when a man attempts to make him stand, kicking and screaming until a punch to the gut leaves him breathless, falling limp to the floor, blood dry on his temple and chin. 

Sehun feels sick, like he just witnessed a crime. In many ways it is, his own silver hexagon tells him these are the rules, this is the punishment. But Jongdae is innocent, he is a good man. Jongdae who likes strawberry milkshakes and sings in the bar that the troops often visit. That’s where he met Jongdae, most importantly that’s where Junmyeon met Jongdae. 

Sehun was there to witness their first time meeting, guarded the door when they turned their friendship into a forbidden romance. He was trusted by his superior, by his friend, so he knew far more than any other did. Some days he thinks he’ll get shot in the head for his knowledge. Most days he knows Junmyeon is better than that. 

Today is not one of those days. 

“He is innocent” Sehun whispers as they climb the concrete stairs that separate the dungeons from the upper quarters of the House of Truth and Peace. Junmyeon tsks his tongue but otherwise doesn’t acknowledge Sehun’s comment “Jun, please”

“Please, what?” his voice is strained now, as if he was ready to snap.

“He is your friend, he is your…”  _ lover  _ goes unsaid, but Junmyeon clearly understands “Jongdae is innocent” Sehun pauses, the rain falls heavy on the other side of the glass doors, he didn't know today rain programmed for the bubble, there is a sour feeling seeping under his skin.

“You could have helped him, could have saved him, taken him to another province, but this…”

“Are you talking insurrection, Oh Sehun?” Junmyeon says, putting on his combination cap and adjusting his greatcoat. His hand rests on the handle of the door as he says “I don’t want to hear more nonsense. I’ll see you tonight” The black and blue frag behind him makes Sehun shiver, he looks just like his father. 

As soon as Junmyeon leaves, the black car racing against the rain, Sehun turns around and undoes his path, ending his steps right in front of the iron door. Behind the rusted metal, a lonely soul stays. 

Jongdae eyes him underneath his matted black hair, the blood on his temple has long dried, but there are fresh cuts on his cheekbones and his arm is resting in a position that is almost unnatural, probably a dislocated bone… or worse. Sehun doesn’t want to think about all the wounds the singer must be wearing under his cargo clothes. 

“If you come to offer a merciful end” he spits a few steps away from Sehun’s boots, blood and saliva staining the grey floors “Tell that bastard to come here and end me himself. He knows I like it hard and fast.”

“I didn’t come to kill you” Jongdae scoffs, Sehun kneels on the ground “I came to promise you I will try to convince him to stop this. Maybe you’ll have to move away, but that’s better than having a tarnished reputation”

“Tarnished…” Jongdae winces in pain as he moves away from the wall, head lolling from side to side as he tsks his tongue “Sehunnie, you think I’m innocent, don’t you?”

“A-ren’t you?” Sehun stammers, fisting the fabric of his pants with desperation.

“Oh, sweet Sehunnie. Myeon always said you were an innocent soul but I never thought you’d be this innocent” Jongdae cocks his head, points with his chin towards his feet “Do you see the blood on my boots? It’s not mine, Sehunnie...”

“But… but it was a parade, there were innocents there” Sehun opens and closes his eyes, feeling disbelief and horror all at once “Minseok’s sister was there!”

“Minnie’s sister was in it too” he closes his eyes, bites his lower lip and whines as he tries to sit upright “She knew what she was doing, she knew” 

“How could you?!” Sehun screams, standing up and walking backwards towards the door, eyebrows quipped in horror. 

Jongdae laughs and his smile is all pointed teeth, bloody fangs, like a monster “You, soldiers like you, kill innocents everyday and no one bats an eyelid. You censor the newspapers, steal from the poor and leave them outside the bubble to fend for themselves against the dark, while you celebrate with steak every night… Your people are not worse than mine. The difference? I do it for freedom, what do you it for if not power?” 

“That’s not true, we have honor, we wouldn’t… we never…”

“Look around you, asks questions, go ahead.. but be careful” his voice takes on a sweeter note, something that reminds Sehun of better times “sometimes we don’t want answers to our dilemmas”

Sehun stumbles away from the man, runs upstairs, pukes in the nearest bin, there is a sour feeling simmering under his skin. He doesn’t, he can’t, he won’t… They aren’t bad, they are in power for a reason, no one is being hurt, Jongdae and his friends hurt people, yes, they do, they are cruel... Sehun, the Party, Junmyeon, are doing what’s right… right? 

In the darkness of the night, smoking in the balcony next to Junmyeon, party inside, artificial clear skies looking down on him, Sehun can't help but ask himself if there is truly something as a good man in a world who experiences the apocalypse in every breath. 

"Don't think too much" Junmyeon says, there is a sour twist to his usual casual expression "Thinking leads to treason"

Sehun nods solemnly, throws some ashes over the balustrade and tries to forget that the world is such a mess. 

**Author's Note:**

> I like 1984 by George Orwell way too much.


End file.
